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Leadership

Definition of Leadership

Leadership is the process of influencing, encouraging, motivating, and guiding an organization to maximize the efforts of its personnel to accomplish the entity’s goals and objectives. Good leaders get results; great leaders get strategic results. Leadership also includes helping individuals to develop and achieve their highest potential. Effective leadership includes modeling, practicing, and teaching proper attitudes, behaviors, skills, and methods of leadership and performance. Wise leadership also includes leading with vision, respect, mentoring, and innovation. The real essence of meaningful leadership is the interest in and passion for the development of those for whom the leader has stewardship.

Assistant/Associate: Elementary understanding of basic/fundamental leadership methods and techniques such as creating a common vision/shared purpose within working groups. Ability to build and manage teams as well as monitor and address performance opportunities. Ability to unify teams to set goals and achieve results.

Senior Associate/Professional/Supervisor: Significant grasp of project management and tactical skills necessary to fulfill strategic goals. Looks for opportunities to provide organizational and personal growth in others. Demonstrates the ability to bring the efforts of multiple teams together to accomplish strategic results. Supervision and leadership of other employees, both full-time and students, is a larger portion of job duties and requirements. Is able to apply leadership methods and techniques to assisting direct reports in improving performance and development.

Senior Professional/Manager/Principal/Director: Regularly uses contemporary leadership methods and techniques in driving strategic results. Practices and models mentoring techniques to encourage development amongst direct reports. Consistently delivers results based on the organization’s strategic direction. Viewed as a mentor and guide to others. Knows how to lead others with or without authority. Is able to lead with vision, encouragement, mentoring, and motivational techniques and practices. Shows seasoned ability to lead others in making strategic decisions, encouraging innovation, and developing others within the organization.

How to Develop Leadership

University Courses:

  • “Leadership” SELFG 051 - Independent Studies online course
  • “Humanities Leadership and Professional Development” HCOLL 396R – Independent Study online course
  • “Leadership Development” – PSYCH 358 – 3.0 Credit course
  • “Managerial Leadership Development – HRM 413 - 3.0 Credit course
  • University Leadership/Management Course – Brian Evans

Training / Other Courses:

  • The Extraordinary Leader: Elevating Leadership Strengths – Zenger/Folkman

Professional Associations / Certifications:

  • Certified Business Office Manager (CBOM)
  • Certified Manager (CM) – Certification
  • MBA or MPA degree

Books / Publications:

  • If I Could Tell You Just One Thing, by Richard Reed
  • The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership, by Bill Walsh, Steve Jamison, Craig Walsh
  • Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek
  • Limitless: Leadership That Endures, by Ajaz Ahmed
  • Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box, by The Arbinger Institute
  • The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential, by John C Maxwell
  • Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization, by John Wooden
  • Monday Morning Leadership: 8 Mentoring Session You Can’t Afford to Miss, by David Cottrell
  • Multipliers: How The Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, by Liz Wiseman
  • Emotional Intelligence 2.0, by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves
  • Talent Unleashed: 3 Leadership Conversations to Ignite The Unlimited Potential in People, by Shawn D. Moon, Todd Davis, Michael Simpson, A. Roger Merrill
  • Mentoring 101, by John C Maxwell
  • One Minute Mentoring, by Ken Blanchard and Claire Diaz-Ortiz
  • The One Minute Manager, by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson (And The NEW One Minute Manager by the same authors)
  • The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (and their employees), by Patrick Lencioni
  • In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-run Companies, by Thomas J Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr.
  • A Passion for Excellence: The Leadership Difference, by Tom Peters and Nancy Austin

Experiences:

  • Interview an effective manager and ask him/her their thoughts on what makes a good manager
  • Observe an effective manager in various settings and make notes about what your learn
  • Lead a cross function team working on a project
  • Lead a short-term project in your department or area
  • Take the Zenger/Folkman “The Extraordinary Leader: Elevating Leadership Strengths” assessment and training
  • Learn mentoring techniques and mentor another person
  • Seek out a mentor to help you learn leadership techniques
  • Volunteer for a committee or subcommittee leadership role
  • Chair an engagement council
  • Participate in a campus wide committee (not necessarily as the leader, but even as a participant)
  • Be a discussion leader within your area to discuss and develop procedures to meet a new requirement or regulation
  • Take responsibility to lead completion of a specific department assignment for an annual retreat meeting
  • Teach a particular skill to other department members
  • Serve on an OPAC subcommittee
  • Coordinate training of all department student employees on a common skill or procedure
  • Voluntarily mentor a new or struggling employee, either formally or informally
  • Take a turn running a department meeting agenda

How to Demonstrate Leadership

DO: Describe what you did in completing / achieving your development plan

  • Give specifics about the books you read, the courses you took, and the concepts you actively sought to learn and improve. Why did you choose these resources?

ASSESS: Share, if applicable, any assessments that were taken/provided related to your activities

  • Share examples of feedback from those you lead who have noticed positive changes in your management style.
  • Share and discuss with the CDC or your supervisor the results of the assessments you took as part of formal training courses or books read, focusing on improvements in specific areas.

LEARN: Explain what you felt that you were able to learn during your journey / experiences

  • What new things did you learn that really impressed you that you would like to incorporate into your everyday leadership?
  • What written goals and plans have you determined to pursue to change your specific management practices and interactions?

APPLY: Give specifics examples where you have / plan to make direct application to your work

  • Describe what you are specifically doing differently in your efforts to manage, lead and/or supervise others that came directly as a result of what you learned/discovered/experienced.
  • Describe how this has effected your relationships with those that you supervise.
  • Describe how this has made you a better/more effective manager/leader.

REFLECT: Review / consider things you would have done differently had you had this experience earlier

  • After putting into practices these new skills, what other skills do you think would help you to improve even further?
  • How can the things you have learned and put into practice be shared with those that you are leading/mentoring? What is the best/most effective way to do this?